Profiles in Poverty

Women whose only acceptable role is motherhood have many more children than women who have multiple options for their lives.

In Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan, women have an average of nearly six children. As a result, in each country well over 40 percent of the population is under age 15. In contrast, American women have an average of 2.1 children. With only 21 percent of the United States population under age 15, our economy can employ each year's crop of new workers, male and female.

Fighting terrorism is important for our security now, but it will take fundamental economic and social changes in poor countries to ensure our security tomorrow.

MARTHA FARNSWORTH RICHE

Bethesda, Md., Dec. 1, 2001

The writer, a demographer, is a former director of the U.S. Census Bureau.